It was late Janary 1974, and I took a train from Connecticut to New York City for the rematch between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. I had no idea how or if I was going to get into Madison Square Garden for the fight--but I was determined to give it my best shot.

The second of what would be a three-fight trilogy between the two warriors actually was something of an afterthought.

Neither man held a title at the time, with Frazier having lost his throne and previously unblemished record to a younger and stronger fellow named George Foreman, who in early 1974 seemed totally unbeatable.

But the Ali/Frazier matchup still held a great allure, with Ali finally having the chance to exact revenge for his still-painful defeat of March 8, 1971.